Working and able
People with disabilities want to work – and can and do hold down jobs. Here are three such Melbournians who face unusual workplace challenges.
Lexi, telesales representative and administrative assistant Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, generalised anxiety disorder, depression Lexi, when were you diagnosed and how did it affect you?
It is incredibly difficult to get a diagnosis for CFS and fibromyalgia – although these are both common incurable conditions, there are no tests available for diagnosis. I had been dealing with lots of seemingly unrelated pain for nearly a year before I received my ME/CFS diagnosis, and it was a huge relief. Even though I will have to manage my chronic illness for the rest of my life, at least I have some answers and a course of action to relieve my symptoms.
What are the common misconceptions surrounding your disorder?
CFS and fibro are invisible illnesses, which means sufferers often don’t look sick, and symptoms vary for everyone. The main misconception is that I am just tired and that with a sufficient amount of rest my tiredness will be relieved. In addition to cognitive issues such as brain fog, confusion, depression, concentration and comprehension difficulty [there is] bodily pain such as muscle/joint pain and weakness, TMJ (jaw pain), nausea, insomnia and dizziness. I am sick and in pain 100 per cent of the time.
How has your workplace responded to your disorder?
My current workplace has been incredibly supportive. I am treated with respect, kindness and understanding. I work remotely and have flexibility around my working hours. I’m able to manage my work independently while being supported, which mentally, is a huge relief.
What are your daily challenges?
There are physical challenges every day. My entire body may be seized in pain that leaves me bedridden for days. I experience nerve pain and additionally, my depression/ anxiety increase due to my physical exhaustion.
Do you think there are any advantages to your disorder that affect your work?
Mental tenacity. When you’re working through pain, you develop an incredible sense of mental strength.
Have you experienced discrimination in the workplace?
I have a very inclusive and accommodating workplace, but I am very worried for the future. We live in a society that favours productivity over people, and as a person with compounding conditions that are chronic and unpredictable, I’m not seen as a valuable commodity.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
Disabled or chronically ill people: you are worthy of respect and opportunity. To workplaces and able-bodied people: educate yourself about disability and chronic illness, because differently abled people are living a different life to you.
Phil, architect, part-time sessional tutor at Monash University and occasional performer Add/neuro-divergent/atypical Phil, when were you diagnosed and how did it affect you?
When I was in Year Eight my parents found that I was struggling to complete coursework despite a reasonable intelligence and aptitude. I was on and off prescription amphetamines until I realised that I needed to go back on medication for good, and have since.
How has your workplace responded to your disorder?
I haven’t ‘come out’ to my boss but have confided in a few of my colleagues. Even despite my medication, I probably still have a reputation in the office of a wandering mind.
What are your daily challenges?
Getting up, getting to work, prioritising the right tasks, concentrating on those tasks, not homing in too deeply on any one particular aspect – hyperfocus is as detrimental an effect of ADD as is lack of focus.
Do you think there are any advantages to your disorder that affect your work?
Architecture requires both vertical and lateral thought processes. Medication can limit creativity, but its effects don’t last the whole work day. This dichotomy of thinking modes does generally make me good at problem-solving or idea conception. I probably have a broader and more acute breadth of thought compared to my neurotypical colleagues.
Have you experienced discrimination in the workplace?
No. As a queer, Jewish, neurodivergent person, I’m both privileged and marginalised.
Clem, university tutor in screenwriting and freelance journalist Autism, depression, anxiety Clem, when were you diagnosed and how did it affect you?
In 2018. Suddenly a lot of things made sense, particularly to do with work. I had long felt convinced that I couldn’t work in offices because I’d feel confused, stressed and exhausted. Without the framework of understanding that an autism diagnosis provided I worried that I was either ‘lazy’ or ‘stupid’.
What are the common misconceptions surrounding your disability/disorder?
That autistic people are incapable of holding down meaningful work or don’t wish to work.
What are your daily challenges?
Maintaining routine and avoiding anxiety when it’s disrupted.
Do you think there are any advantages to your disorder that affect your work?
Autism means I think differently about lots of things. That means I have an interdisciplinary approach to teaching that (I hope!) students find engaging.
Have you experienced discrimination in the workplace?
The way most offices are designed and the behaviours common to media workplaces (highly social, pitch-focused) has meant that I’ve been on the outer a lot of the time.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
We hear a lot about autistic people being employed by coding, tech and banking industries due to their unique skills, which is great. However, there are just as many autistic people whose skills make them assets in creative industries and caring professions.